Chapter 144: A Brilliant Plan in a Brocade Pouch

"You killed An Lu-shan...?" Yura was slightly stunned, not surprised by their infighting, but rather bewildered by how easily he had been slain.

"If it were that easy, there would definitely be a catch. Could you please put that kunai down? Your arm might not be tired, but my neck certainly is," Haku said casually as he sheathed his blade.

An Lu-shan's headless body remained standing tall. Not a single drop of blood flowed from the severed stump, the cross-section revealing wood as smooth as a mirror.

Within mere seconds, guided by invisible threads of chakra, An Lu-shan's head was pulled back and reattached to his neck. Just as suspected, he was merely a replacement puppet, acting as a mouthpiece for the real An Lu-shan.

"When did you figure it out..." An Lu-shan's voice grew icy now that all pretense was dropped.

"Did you drop even the honorifics? My foolish minister," Haku looked at him with utter disdain.

"I asked you how you figured it out!!!" An Lu-shan roared furiously.

"Did I even need to figure it out? Can I possibly not know myself?" Haku sneered. "I've never had the slightest interest in conquering the ninja world. How could I possibly have sent you back in time to assist me?"

"People—"

"Are you going to say that people change? That's right, people's thoughts do change over time, through life experiences, and according to their social status... but their IQ doesn't!"

"Perhaps there really will come a day when my future self gets bored, has a sudden whim, and wants to conquer the ninja world for fun. Even then, I wouldn't choose you, nor this pile of scrap metal!" Haku genuinely laughed, a laugh straight from the bottom of his heart.

Having witnessed Uchiha Madara's power at its peak, having seen the Six Paths mode destroy heavens and earth, having witnessed the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion split the moon...

Would he choose a bunch of puppets indistinguishable from toys to conquer the ninja world?

That was hilarious.

An Lu-shan was nothing more than a minor boss banished here by his future self to serve as a sparring partner.

You still wanted to fool me?

Take a look around and see who the master of deception truly is in this ninja world.

"Well? Aren't my deductive details on point?" Haku smugly twitched his eyebrows.

"As expected of Dad! Truly meticulous!" Karin smiled knowingly.

"Bastard... Bastard... Bastard... How dare you look down on me, An Lu-shan! How dare you insult my puppet army..." An Lu-shan trembled all over as the surrounding puppet soldiers rose to their feet once more, the red lights in their eyes locking onto their enemies again.

"Weren't you the one who insulted my intelligence first? You even tried to use a few wooden maid puppets to seduce me. If they were real people, I might have actually fallen for it. By the way... how did you offend me in the future to get yourself banished here?" Haku asked out of curiosity.

"You bastard... You are completely unworthy of being the Emperor of Loulan! You possess such immense power, so many formidable subordinates, and the Longmai with its endless energy!"

"Yet you lack all ambition, having no desire to conquer the ninja world or achieve greatness. Day in and day out, you indulge in merrymaking, obsessed with figurines and maid uniforms, wasting your potential in idle pleasures. For ten years you refused to hold court, disappearing every few days, and squandering boundless energy on utterly meaningless things!"

An Lu-shan's voice shook with anger, as if he had truly transformed into a stern, loyal veteran minister bitterly reprimanding and accusing a worthless emperor.

A series of strange glances swept across the group.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem... Am I really like that?" Haku asked Karin awkwardly.

"Yeah, you used to drag me all over the ninja world quite often. When I left, you were in the middle of building a five-hundred-meter-tall Gundam," Karin blinked.

"Ahem... Please, continue," Haku awkwardly rubbed his nose.

"You are nothing more than a clown! A clown dragging Loulan into continuous decline! And I... An Lu-shan, should be the true emperor! Still, I must thank you for your clemency. Even when I gathered people and instigated a rebellion, you didn't kill me; instead, you banished me to this era..."

"Thank you for your mercy... As repayment, I will kill your weak self, take your inheritance, and become the Desert Emperor! Hahahahahaha..." An Lu-shan clutched his face and laughed wildly.

"Another one has lost his mind..." Haku shook his head.

"Tell me where the Desert Emperor's inheritance is hidden, and I will grant you a swift death. Otherwise, you shall suffer through endless torment!"

An Lu-shan had been trapped in the past for ten years, transforming the ruined Loulan tribe into this majestic city. Every inch of the surrounding land had been overturned, and not a single ancient text had been left unread, yet there was still no trace of the Desert Emperor's inheritance. Presumably, only Haku knew the answer.

"The Desert Emperor's inheritance?" Haku chuckled. This guy was probably still kept completely in the dark. What inheritance could there possibly be? Wasn't it just the power granted by the system?

Yet he himself was also puzzled about how to complete the mission. He had originally thought it meant becoming the One-Tail's jinchuriki, but now Monk Bunpuku was dead, and who knew how long it would take for Shukaku to revive.

"Karin, do you know where the inheritance is?" Haku pondered; perhaps his future self might have told the story to his daughter.

"I don't know. But before Dad let me come here, he gave me a brocade pouch, saying I could open it if you had any questions." Karin pulled out a cloth bag.

"Good grief, still playing the mystic," Haku opened the cloth bag with disdain, pulled out a slip of paper, and everyone leaned in close, paying no mind to An Lu-shan watching them.

「Make Loulan Great Again!!!」

"..." Everyone looked at each other in dismay.

"What a scam!" Haku tore the note into pieces. The system played tricks on him, and even his future self played tricks on him. Was he really a clown?

Was there nothing he could just say plainly? Why always act so cryptic!

"That looks like writing from the Land of Lightning..." Noizumi thought to herself, trying her best to translate from memory: "Make Loulan great again? What does that mean? Is it literal, or some kind of code?"

"Speak! What on earth does it mean! Where is the inheritance!" An Lu-shan roared.

"It means making me happy, An Lu-shan. Your tyranny ends here. Thank you for everything you've done for Loulan all these years. This gift bag... I'll gladly accept it!" Haku swung his blade again, this time slicing An Lu-shan's body cleanly into dozens of pieces.

"Stubborn to the end! You will regret your actions! Attack!" An Lu-shan's voice echoed from all directions.

「Your Majesty, please perish...」

Clack, clack, clack, clack...

Countless puppet soldiers popped open the hatches on their torsos, rows of rocket-propelled grenades locking onto Haku and his group, firing without a moment's hesitation.

"Earth Style: Earth Spear Wall!"

Kakuzu reached out and slammed his palm against the ground, causing a pitch-black stone wall to erupt upward, blocking the incoming barrage of rockets.

「Wind Barrier!」

Haku waved his sword, slashing out a rising gale of wind and scattering countless cherry blossom petals. The fierce gust blew the oncoming rockets completely off course, sending them soaring high into the sky where they exploded harmlessly.

"Just how many jutsu does this guy know..." Maki felt deeply aggrieved. He could endure anything else, but now even Wind Style and swordsmanship had surpassed his own areas of expertise.

"Call this a trial for me? This is clearly a reward session!" Haku grinned broadly.

"Let's go with the wind! Unstoppable!"